Machine for decorating confections.



W. F. WALKER.

MACHINE FOR DECORATING GONFBOTIONS.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

JNVENTOR.

WITNESS-ES.- V/

A TTORNEY.

" UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER E. WALKER, 0F SEEING-FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 NATIONAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CCRPOB-ATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR DECORATING CONFECTIQNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Application filed April 18, 1910. Serial No. 556,132.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be :it known that I, WALTER Frron WALKER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of'Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Decorating Confections, of'which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of confections, the object of the invention being to provide mechanisms by means of which confections of various kinds may be suitably decorated or provided with ornamentation. 1

It is the common practice, especially in the manufacture of chocolates or other candies, to provide the upper surface with various designs in order to enhance their appearance, and this ornamentation has generally been performed by hand.

A further object ofthe invention is to pro- I vide means for varying the shape or appearance of the ornamentations.

In the drawings forming part of this application,-Figure 1 is a view in end elevation of my improvement showing means for reciprocating the ornamentin devices and the conveyor-belt for the confections. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 22, Fig; 1 showing the means for adjustably supporting the wire elements or fingers by means of which the confections are decorated. This figure also illustrates, in outline, the receptacle which contains the liquid-ornamenting material and located in proximity'to the fin er elements. Figs. 3, 4., 5, and 6 are views 0 various forms of ornamentation.

Referring to Fi 1, a designates an apron or conveyor-belt or supportm the confec tions thereon, as shown at b. T is conveyerbelt is adapted to be moved by any suitable means and is preferably provided on its upper surface with recessed ortions, as shown at 0, whereby the confect1ons will all be placed in axial alinement with each other when they are passed through the machine:

The construction of the conve er-belt and its mode of operation, however, orm no part of my inventlon.

d and e designate fixed parts of the machine on which is supported a cross-bar f that supports a pair of sliding blocks 9 which are connected together by means of a gait h, and secured thereto by means of the o s z.

Pivotally attached to the bar it b means of a pin 7' is a bar In that is provide with a U-shaped bend m through the sides 0 of which passes a threaded connecting-rod p which is provided with two adjusting locknuts 9. The opposite end of the rod p is attached to a crank-pin 1- that is adjustably secured to the wheel s in a diametrically arranged groove 15 whereby the stroke of the bar It may be varied.

u designates an arm that is secured to the standard d for supporting a bearing '2) through which passes the shaft for the drivingpulley w.

Adjustably secured in the guide-blocks g are hanger-rods w by means of the setscrews the lower ends of the rods :2: are provided with hook-shaped ends a in which are placed a bar 2 which has formed therein and spaced from each other the V-shaped channels 3. The distances between the channels 3 correspond to the distances between the recesses or indentations cof the conveyer-belt a. Loosely encircling these channels 3 are depending wires or fingers 4: which are ada ted to engage the upper surface of the con actions 7), as shown, when they are moved under the rod 2 by means of the conveyer-belt a.

6 designates a suitable receptacle for containing the liquid chocolate or other substance used for the ornamentation and is so mounted, as to have a transverse movement relative to the line of travel of the confections. This receptacle is located immediately over the confections 1) whereby, as the same are moved thereunder, a stream or layer of chocolates 7 is deposited thereon in a wavy line, as shown at 8, Fig. 3; and as the confections are moved past the recep- V duced when the finger 4, trails through the wavy layer of chocolate'shown in Fig. 3 in a straight line: That is to say, the crankpin 1' is then located in the groove t so as not to impart any reciprocating movements to the trailing fingers 4.

r having The design shown in Fig. 5 is produced'by the finger 4 reciprocate transversely to the line of travel of the confections, and gingagethe wavy line of chocolate shown in 1g. 3. v The design shown in Fig. 6 is produced by causing the wavy line of chocolate shown in Fig; 3 to be engaged by two of the trailingfingers 4, when the crank-pin 1- is set on the a center, and no reciprocation is imparted to be simultaneously placed herein are merely illustrative. 10 designates bearing-blocks in the blocks 9 by means of which any wear may be taken up.

What I claim, is:- 1. In an ornamenting machine of the class described, the combination with a fixed rod,

a rod adaptedfor reciprocation and mounted thereon, said rod having loosely depending fingers thereon and adapted to engage an article as it moves under the fingers, and means for reciprocating saidrod transversely to the line of motion .of the articles.

guide-rod,

blocks, a bar or rod endant from the blocks and having a plura ItyOf annular channels therein, and fingers loosely engaging the channels and adapted to engage a confection, as described.

3. A confection-decorating machine com- I prising pendant finger elements of wire, and

horizontal plane. 4. In a machine for decorating confections which have received a wavy line of viscous material on their upper surface during a longitudinal movement of thesame, the combination with pendant fingers adapted to swing in a vertlcal plane for engaging said material, and means for reciprocating said fingers transversely to the line of movement of the confections, as described.

5. In a confection decorating machine, the combination with pendant fingers, a bar for supporting said fingers, and means for causing the fingers to move either in a straight or a zigzag line, as described. WALTER F.

Witnesses: l.

K. I. CLnMoNs, p HARRY W. BOWEN.

WALKE means for reciprocating said elements in a 

